In his first year as coach of the California Golden Bears, Mike Montgomery easily exceeded expectations while finishing the season with 22 victories and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. With Cal returning six of seven major contributors in 2009-2010, there is good reason to expect the Golden Bears Cal to be even better this year, while having the talent and experience to compete for a Pac-10 title.
Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson both averaged over 33 minutes a game for Cal last year, which is not a bad thing since they are both such great players. Christopher proved he is more than just a shooter as he averaged over 14 points per game, while Robertson had a superb year, connecting on just less than 50 percent of his three-point attempts. For a 6-6 forward, Robertson is extremely tough to defend, especially when his shot keeps falling. However, thanks to the emergence of Jorge Gutierrez, those two may not have to play so many minutes this season. As a freshman, Gutierrez never started a game, but by the end of the season he was seeing more minutes. Add fellow sophomore D.J. Seeley and experienced senior Nikola Knezevic, and California should have plenty of depth.
Although he did average just less than 10 points a game, Jamal Boykin may not put up eye-popping numbers, but he did lead the Golden Bears in rebounds, and never lacks great hustle. The tough Boykin hits the boards hard, always plays smart, and will once again man the four spot. The one remaining question for Cal is who will replace Jordan Wilkes at center. Since Wilkes averaged only 18 minutes a game, plugging in Harper Kamp should work just fine as he put it nearly 20 minutes per contest anyway. While Kamp has never been that productive on paper, he is an upperclassman now who could surprise people and contribute more than anticipated. However, the Golden Bears just would be happy if he could clog the middle, play decent defense, and grab a few rebounds. If the team needs more than Kamp's 6-8, 255 pounds in the middle, Cal does have 7-3 sophomore Max Zhang to fill the role if needed.
